Letter To Editor Farmers And Monopolies

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 September 1947, Page 4

Letter To Editor

Farmers And Monopolies

Sir, —I have'followed every move in the contest, Ross versus Cobden. It seems to me that Ross, before the bell went for the first round, was out to knock-out Cobden. For a while I thought that sporting means only were to be used. But, after reading Mr Taylor’s statement on “loose statements,” well, Sir, I am convinced that Ross should be disqualified.

A few thoughts have occurred to me that I have not seen discussed in print. Great support has been given to the ideal of co-operation, which, by the way, is the first fundamental of Socialism. A great many of the Ross supporters have . been, are now, and always will be “dinkum Tories.” Do they support co-opera-tion now because it suits their own personal interests?’ Furthermore, how many of the farmers now blatantly preaching co-operation would be prepared to put workers on their farms on a co-operative basis and allow them to “co-operate” in the profits? There is another point: What had Mr Greenslade, the secretary of Ross lime-works, to say about “parasites” who spent part of their time on farms and the rest in mills or gold dredges? My final thought: I would like Mr Wallace and Mr Mulcare to tell the public whether, a year or two ago, Ross had enough orders to keep it financially buoyant without having to call on the holders of shares to put more money in. Town talk has it that it is only recently that three big farmers in the Grey Valley district became lime-conscious, and flooded Ross with orders which it could not fulfil. Plenty to paucity of production seems to be the result. Summed up, it seems that our future industrial development is to be sacrificed on the altar of selfishness. If Ross beats Cobden in this bout, a precedent will be created on the West Coast. Any monopoly, whether it be a footwear factory, butchery or bakery, doctor or dentist, taxi service or chain store, brewery or cordial factory—yes, even newspapers—will only have to howl like wounded wolves and resort to limitless “loose statements,” and the West Coast community will forever be. tied to existing concerns, with or without good service, and all this only to serve the purpose of conserving the investments of local investors.

Yours, etc., KNUCKLE DUSTER. Greymouth, September 4. (Abridged.—Editor, Evening Star.;